Congressional Reform Act of 2012
"Civil disobedience, that’s not our problem. Our problem is that people are obedient all over the world in the face of poverty and starvation and stupidity, and war, and cruelty. Our problem is that people are obedient while the jails are full of petty thieves, and all the while the grand thieves are running the country. That's our problem." ~ Howard Zinn
I did a lot of thinking on my day off of the www. You've likely seen other versions of this. I took the basics and re-wrote it to suit me. Very satisfying!!! Please look it over and tell me what you'd change or tweak. I'm all ears. Then let's figure out how to ram this down Congress' throat the way it does its little pet projects -- like NDAA, SOPA & PIPA, the Patriot Act, TSA, S510, the Drug War, etc. -- all of which rob us of our money and our liberty.
Congressional Reform Act of 2012
WHEREAS The American people did not make contracts regarding salary, pensions, and health care benefits with Members of Congress (hereafter "MoCs" or "MoC" singular). WHEREAS MoCs made these contracts with themselves with money they took from the American people. WHEREAS serving in Congress is an honor, not a career. WHEREAS the Founding Fathers envisioned citizen legislators, MoCs should serve their term(s), then go home and get back to work. 1. Salary:
MoCs may collect a reasonable salary while in office and receive no pay when out of office. "Reasonable" to be defined by the MoC's constituents.
MoCs may not vote on a pay raise for themselves. Congressional pay will rise by the lower of CPI or 3%.
2. Social Security:
MoCs (past, present & future) must participate in Social Security.
All funds in the Congressional retirement fund move to the Social Security system immediately. All future funds flow into the Social Security system. It may not be used for any other purpose.
Any MoCs putting forward a bill or resolution that even hints at using Social Security funds for any other purpose will be fired from Congress immediately.
3. Pension:
MoCs no longer receive a pension.
All pension/benefits contracts with past and present MoCs are null and void, effective immediately.
Pension payments to past MoCs will cease immediately.
Any MoC who complains must begin repaying all pension money paid to him/her to date at 8% interest amortized over however many years s/he served.
4. Health Care:
Health care benefits for MoCs cease immediately.
5. Enforcement of Laws:
Congress must abide by all laws imposed on the American people.
MoCs found guilty of breaking any laws must serve the minimum jail time.
MoCs are subject to random drug tests to be conducted at the whim of their constituents no more than twice a month.
Should any member of the public smell cannabis around a MoC or around a MoC's relative, pet, office, home, car, plane, boat or other private property, citizen may conduct a search of the premises immediately. This is not a joke. As soon as cannabis in all forms is legal without government oversight of any form, this provision shall be null and void.
6. Term Limits:
MoCs shall be allowed to serve no more than two consecutive terms. [This is up for debate. I can see the danger of term limits. Plus, with no pension, no health care, reasonable salary, and no automatic salary increases, why will a MoC want to stay?]
7. Federal Employees:
Numbers 1 through 5 above apply to all federal employees, effective immediately.
NOTE: MoCs and federal employees may secure health care in the private system at their own individual expense and are free to invest their personal funds in their own retirement plan. We are assuming here that Obamacare is a thing of the past. It will be in Kentucky, thanks to David Adams. </end> Pretty good, huh? What did I leave out?